Solar Transit Signage
by Mark Foss
Like millions of U.S. citizens, I am making my personal trek through the tax filing season. One question my accountant asked me this year was whether I had purchased any “green†technology that qualified for credit on my return. With this question in the back of my mind, I had lunch with a friend in the transit business. He is a rail fan. He pointed out some customer-oriented improvements he would make to his local street car line. One of his desired improvements got me thinking.
My friend pointed to a small electronic sign on the transit shelter. He rightly mentioned that it could be improved at least by better placement — and perhaps by two signs facing different directions. He lobbied the agency to no effect.
Budgets are tight and expected to grow very slowly. However, the federal government is pushing clean technology. It was then that I began to wonder whether there might be a way to win both better signage and a budget gain for our local agency. Why not solar transit signage?
In September of 2009, 43 transit projects were chosen by the Obama Administration, to receive grants designed to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Nine of these projects were solar-related projects. The solar projects included lighting, lighted exit signs and power generation. Solar-powered lighting is already in use.
For example, photovoltaic (PV) powered LED lighting is in use in bus shelters in San Jose, Calif. PV solar-powered signage is also used for highway signage.
Solar-powered transit signs exist but don’t appear widespread. Perhaps this is due to the habit of waiting for large grants. However, the current budget climate may work against this approach.
Incremental growth may be better than trying to implement a “mega-project†funded by a major grant.  Pilot projects may provide a learning lab before larger funding comes along. An Apri1 2004 article about an IT project at TriMet states: “TriMet put LED electronic display signs in several different environments during Phase 1. This allowed them to determine where the signs would perform the best, whether at bus shelters or rail platforms. If the signs performed better in one place over another, they would address the issue and act accordingly. Resolving this issue on a small system is much more cost effective than having to address it on the full expanded systemâ€.
This approach makes sense to me. Over the years I have seen a lot of very large projects struggle – apparently because they were large and complicated involving new technology.
This brings me back to my discussion with my friend. He has lobbied his local streetcar line to make various improvements — among which was the electronic signage. But it is easier to say no — or nothing at all — than to think creatively. Personally, I would look for a grant for green solar technology — especially given the current federal emphasis. A small project might be easier to fund, and it would provide a learning lab for the next, hopefully larger, project. In the meantime, the customers along a short streetcar line would gain better signs.
Mark Foss has more than 24 years experience working for King County Metro Transit. His experience includes work as a bus operator, special ridership coordinator in accessible services and 1st line transit supervisor. Currently, he works as a communications coordinator in the transit control center (TCC).